THE man whose body was discovered in a power station coal bunker may have died in a tragic accident.

The 42-year-old man, believed to be from Newton-Le-Willows, was found on Wednesday afternoon by staff at Fiddlers ferry Power Station in Cuerdley Cross, near Widnes.

The man, who has not yet been named, received injuries suggesting he was crushed to death by coal. A post mortem, however, proved inconclusive.

Police are not treating his death as suspicious and a report has been prepared for the Cheshire coroner Nicolas Rheinberg.

Firefighters recovered his body which had fallen through the bottom of the coal truck on to a metal grate above the coal store. The freight train carries coal from Liverpool Docks to the station every day.